The story of the creation of the Linsalata Alumni Center is the story of dedicated, appreciative university supporters and the continuous quest by President Snyder and others for a campus that supports, serves and celebrates its community.

University trustee and alumnus Frank Linsalata, chairman and founder of Linsalata Capital Partners, and his wife, Jocelyne, have been strong supporters of the university for decades. In 2013, they saw a new need: an expansion to the Alumni House that opened just six years prior but had already more than proved that alumni needed more space for events and meetings. The Linsalatas pledged up to $4 million for expansion of Alumni House contingent on $1 million in pledges from other donors.

The creation of Alumni House in 2007 was itself a feat, as the university had for years acknowledged the need for a central location for alumni services and events. University leaders opened Alumni House after converting a Georgian brick home built in 1911 and purchased in 1953.

The Frank N. and Jocelyne K. Linsalata Alumni Center was dedicated in February 2017, less than four years after the Linsalatas announced their pledge. The expanded building features the 3,500-square-foot Foster-Castele Great Hall, named in honor of two Alumni House supporters, the late Ted Castele (ADL ’51, MED ’57) and Don Foster (ADL ’50).

Today, the center is home to hundreds of gatherings large and small and is a beacon for alumni when they step on campus. The momentum started by the Linsalatas has not been forgotten, either.

“It’s amazing that in 12 years we’ve gone from an idea to a well-regarded alumni association with a dedicated center on campus,” Jeffrey T.  Verespej (CWR ’07, MGT ’11), former president of the Case Western Reserve University Alumni Association, said in 2017.